News & Perspectives on Beer and its Culture

Anchor Brewing Introduces Dry-Hopped Steam Beer

Anchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco, California) recently announced that Anchor Dry-Hopped Steam Beer™ is headed to shelves and taps for a limited time beginning next month.

It may be a new take on the iconic Anchor Steam® Beer – the original California Common -, but the limited release of Anchor Dry-Hopped Steam Beer™ plans to make a name for itself with its own special recipe. Dry-hopped with a blend of new and traditional hops, this new offering has “distinct aromas of citrus and stone fruit, and a lingering, bitter hop finish.” Balanced by a light malt sweetness that is reminiscent of the original Anchor Steam®, Anchor Dry-Hopped Steam Beer™ presents itself as a “brilliant amber in color with a tight, tan head” that is “moderately full in body, smooth and velvety.”

“Anchor Dry-Hopped Steam Beer is both a historical nod to our roots and a cutting edge, modern beer,” said Brewmaster Scott Ungermann. “We took our most popular, classic beer and gave it a contemporary twist by introducing a lighter body and an elevated, dynamic hop profile using new and classic hop varieties. The result is a California Common with a unique hop bitterness balanced by a light malty sweetness.”

Anchor Dry-Hopped Steam Beer™ will be available for a limited time in Alabama, Florida and throughout Anchor Brewing’s distribution area from September to December 2016. Look for it at select craft beer-friendly establishments in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draught. Prost!

Release – Limited, September to December 2016ABV – 5.4%Malts – Blend of 2-Row Pale & CaramelHops – Northern Brewer; Dry-hopped with Cascade & Experimental No. 484
Packaging – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draught
Background on the Style – “California Commons are a unique American style of beer created by fermenting lager yeast at warmer temperatures similar to ales. This creates a hybrid between the two beer styles, though lager yeast is always used. Anchor Steam® Beer (4.9% ABV) is the original California Common made in San Francisco since 1896.”